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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
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(ICE) operates detention facilities for undocumented immigrants |
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throughout the United States, including six Texas facilities in El |
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Paso, Houston, Laredo, Port Isabel, and Willacy County and the |
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South Texas facility in Pearsall; and |
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WHEREAS, During 2008, ICE detention facilities across the |
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United States held a total average daily population of 31,345 |
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undocumented immigrants, and the average length of stay was more |
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than 30 days; of those detained, 10,653 were women; and |
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WHEREAS, Many of the women entering ICE detention facilities |
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are recent victims of sexual assault and other physical and mental |
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trauma, and the U.S. government and ICE are responsible for their |
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care and treatment during the time they are held in these |
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facilities; the ICE operational manual, which sets forth national |
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performance-based detention standards, states that detainees will |
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have access to the same health care services as detainees in the |
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general population; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite these written standards, ICE has failed to |
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provide women in its facilities with the same access to care |
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provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to its female population, |
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according to recent reports by investigative journalists; women in |
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ICE detention facilities have therefore been denied access to the |
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full range of medical care and treatment to which they are entitled; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, It is the duty of the State of Texas and of the |
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United States of America to treat the most vulnerable among us in a |
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humane and ethical manner; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to immediately |
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take all necessary steps to ensure that women in U.S. Immigration |
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and Customs Enforcement detention facilities receive full access to |
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the medical care to which they are entitled; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, to the assistant secretary of |
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homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and |
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to all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the |
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request that this resolution be officially entered in the |
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Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United |
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States of America. |